Locomotive pilot coupler



Jan. 11, 1938. J. G. BOWER LOCOMOTIVE PILOT COUPLER Filed Dec. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. '11, 1938. J. G. BOWER LIOCOMOTIVE PILOT COUPLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1955 I'l I 3mm e]: G. ,Bawer Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE PILOT COUPLER bus, Ohio Application December 2, 1935, Serial No. 52,592

16 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in locomotive pilot couplers and more especially to coupler mechanism utilizing a standard or conventional coupler for locomotive coupling purposes.

Most locomotives used in train service do not require constant use of the pilot coupler, and the pilot coupler is not used at all by the locomotive when it is at the front end of freight or passenger trains. It is desirable, from the standpoint of safety, not to have a pilot coupler projecting beyond the contour of the locomotive pilot when the locomotive is at the front end of the train, due to the coupler catching highway vehicles at grade crossings and rolling the vehicles in front of or under the front end of the locomotive, thereby causing derailment of locomotive and greater damage to occupants of both highway vehicles and trains than if the pilot is free of projections, giving the vehicles more chance to be thrown to one side or the other of the locomotive.

The objects of the invention are as follows:

1. A standard coupler combined with a pocket casting having its surface contour arranged so that when it is moved from its coupling position, the casting presents a surface conforming substantially to the contour of the pilot.

2. A pilot having a substantially unbroken contour and a standard coupler arranged in a pocket of the pilot in a manner so that when it is desired to couple at the pilot end of a locomotive, the coupler head projects for coupling.

The invention is just as applicable to the rear end of stream-lined trains or to the front and rear of rail motor car units or other equipment on which it is desirable to stream-line or shroud the ends. Therefore, a further object of the invention is to supply improved couplers, coupler pockets and coupler-operating devices especially suitable for such purposes.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved pilot and pilot-coupling mechanism taken on the line I--l of Fig. '7.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the pocket casting forming part of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a shim which may be used. with the pocket casting.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail illustrating the manner of mounting the shim on the pocket casting.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of another form of shim.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the pilot and coupler mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 8 designates a locomotive pilot having a pocket 9 associated therewith. This pocket may be a casting separate from the pilot or integral therewith. In other words, the pocket casting may be a separate unit adapted to be secured to the other parts; it may be integral with the pilot beam at the upper end of the pilot; the pocket casting, pilot beam and pilot may be integral; the pocket casting and center portion of the pilot may be integral or any other suitable combination of the front end castings may be employed within the spirit of the invention.

In connection with the foregoing it may be explained that the pilot is considered to be the sloping portion below the pilot beam and in these cases the pilot beam has the same slope as the pilot.

At the rear end of a stream-lined train or car, neither a pilot nor a pilot beam is used, although a sloping shroud may or may not be employed. In accordance with my invention the pocket casting may be separate from or integral with the shroud or rear end of such a train or car.

A removable pin ll] extends through the roof II and bottom [2 of the casting and on this pin I mount a conventional or standard coupler l3 and a pocket casting M. The latter is of special shape and. it is shown detached in Fig.2. It has a pilot-contoured plate or face I5 which closes the front end of the pocket 9 when the coupler is housed within the latter. Upper and lower flanges l6 and I1 project rearwardly from the plate l5 and the last-mentioned flange rests on an upstanding boss I 8 at the bottom of the pocket 9. The flanges are pivotally mounted on the pin l0 and the shank of the coupling is arranged between them. For the purpose of taking up wear shims 20 of the type shown in Fig. 5 are placed on the pin Ill between the shank of the coupling and flange Hi.

The flange ll terminates in a drop leg 2| which slidably engages the bottom l2 of the pocket and forms a shelf 22 serving as a bearing for a portion 23 of the coupling as shown in dotted lines shank as required.

.line or shroud the ends.

the coupler and the shelf, one or more shims 24 of the type shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be placed on the top of the shelf. For the purpose of interlocking each shim to the shelf, the latter may be provided at a couple of points with cavities 25 to receive protuberances 26 depending.

Each shim may also have'a' from the shims. plurality of cavities 21 to accommodate the protuberances of a superposed shim. Forthe purpose of locking the pocket casting, M'in either 7 and the ear when the pocket casting is to be locked in projected position, but of course, when the pocket casting I4 is in projected position,

the coupling is free to swing on the pin ill to a' limited degree relatively to the pocket casting to take care of turning movements of thetrain.

As the coupler E3 is of conventional design it has an ordinary lock-lifting element 31 which may be operated by lifting mechanism of the type disclosed in the application of George T.

Johnson and Harry Wolfe, Serial No. 48,573,

filed November 6, 1935. Such mechanism is so constructed as totake care of the various positions of the coupler and to accommodate such mechanism the roof of the pocket in the present inventi0i1 is provided with an arcuate slot 32 that is closed by a horn 33 forming part of the pocket casting. I

In the present invention as .all shimmingqis done between the coupler casting M, the pilot-contoured plate cast integral with the pocket casting can be designed to fill the entire opening in the front face of the pilot. When couplers are applied to new locomotives, shims 26 are both on top of the shank of the coupler l3. As the springs settle and the car wheels wear, the center line of the coupler lowers, and in order to meet the standard coupler requirements for coupler center line to rail, shims Ell may be placed between the shank of the coupler and the flange Il or under the As the coupler shank is raised with reference to the coupler pocket, there will be a space between the shelf 22' and the portion 23 of the coupler. Thisspacewill be filled with shelf shims 24 as required.

The notch 36 in the lower portion of thepocket casting is designed to clear a fillet 35 in the lower left-hand corner of the'opening in the face of the pilot.

In the foregoing description I have explained my invention in connection with a pilot,'but as heretofore mentioned, the invention is not'to be confined to such use as it can also be employed at the rear end of stream-lined trains or at the front and rear of rail motor car units or in the equipment on which it is desirable to stream- It. will therefore be understood that in the following claims where I refer to a locomotive pilot having a pocket, I intend this expression to also include a pocket 7 arranged in the rear end of stream-lined trains I3 and the pocketor in the front or rear of rail motor car units or other equipment on which it is desirable to stream-line or shroud the ends. Obviously in such constructions the contoured plate of the pocket casting will conform to the shape of'the shroud or end of the car or the like.

From the foregoing it is believed the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1-; In combination, a pilot having a. pocket, a casting movably mounted on the pilot for closing the mouth of the pocket, said casting having a pocket at its rear and a pilot-contoured face at its front, and a coupler mounted in the pocket of the casting and adapted to be housed within the first-mentioned pocket. I

2. In combination, a pilot having a pocket, a casting movably mounted on the pilot for closing the mouth of the pocket, said casting having a pocket at its rear and a pilot-contoured face atits front, a coupler mounted in the pocket of the casting and adapted to be housed within the first-mentioned pocket, and means for looking said casting in retracted or projected position.

3. In combination a pilot having a pocket, a pocket casting movably mounted on the pilot and having a pilot-contoured face for'closing the mouth of the pocket, a coupler adapted to be housed within the pocket and movably connected with the pocket casting, and means for taking up Wear between the pocket casting and the coupler.

4. In combination, a pilot having a pocket, a pocket casting cooperating with said pocket and having a pilot-contoured plate for closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting being movable about a vertical axis, and a coupler adapted to be housed within said pocket and capable of movement by the pocket casting to coupling position, said coupler being also movable about a vertical axis.

5. In combination, a pilot having a pocket, a pocket casting cooperating with said pocket and having a pilot-contouredv plate for closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting being movable about a vertical axis, a coupler adapted to be housed Within said pocket and capable of movement by the pocket casting to coupling position, said coupler being also movable about a vertical axis, and means for locking the pocket casting in retracted or projected position.

6. Incombination, apilot having a pocket, a pocket casting cooperating with said pocket and having a pilot-contoured plate for closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting being movable about a vertical axis, a coupler adapted to be housed within said pocket and capable of movement with the pocket casting to coupling position, said coupler being also movable about a vertical axis, and means for adjusting the coupler vertically relatively to the pocket castmg.

7. In combination, a pilot having a pocket, a pocket casting having a pilot-contoured plate for closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting being movable about a vertical axis from closing position to a projected position, and a conventional coupler adapted to be housed Within said pocket and movable about the same vertical axis.

8. In combination, a pilot having a pocket, a

pocket casting having a pilot-contoured plate for closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting being movable about a vertical axis from closing position to a projected position, and a conventional coupler adapted to be housed within said pocket and movable about the same vertical axis, said pocket casting forming bearings for said coupler.

9. In combination, a locomotive pilot having a pocket in its upper portion, a vertical pivot pin in the pocket, a pocket casting pivotally mounted on said pin and having a pilot-contoured plate adapted to close the mouth of the pocket, and a conventional coupler having its shank pivotally mounted on said pin and movable relatively to said pocket casting, said pocket forming a chamber into which the coupler may be retracted when the pilot-contoured plate of the pocket casting is moved into closed position.

10. In combination, a locomotive pilot having a pocket in its upper portion, a vertical pivot pin in the pocket, a pocket casting pivotally mounted on said pin and having a pilot-contoured plate adapted to close the mouth of the pocket, a conventional coupler having its shank pivotally mounted on said pin and movable relatively to said pocket casting, said pocket forming a chamber into which the coupler may be retracted when the pilot-contoured plate of the pocket casting is moved into closed position, and shims arranged on the pivot pin between the coupler shank and a portion of said pocket casting.

11. In combination, a locomotive pilot having a pocket in its upper portion, a vertical pivot pin in the pocket, a pocket casting pivotally mounted on said pin and having a pilot-contoured plate adapted to close the mouth of the pocket, and a conventional coupler having its shank pivotally mounted on said pin and movable relatively to said pocket casting, said pocket forming a chamber into which the coupler may be retracted when the pilot-contoured plate of the pocket casting is moved into closed position, said pocket casting having a rearwardly extending flange terminating in a drop leg which slidably engages the bottom of the pocket.

12. In combination, a locomotive pilot having a pocket in its upper portion, a vertical pivot pin in the pocket, a pocket casting pivotally mounted on said pin and having a pilot-contoured plate adapted to close the mouth of the pocket, and a conventional coupler having its shank pivotally mounted on said pin and movable relatively to said pocket casting, said pocket forming a chamber into which the coupler may be retracted when the pilot-contoured plate of the pocket casting is moved into closed position, said pocket casting having a shelf forming a support on which a portion of the coupler is slidably mounted.

13. In combination, a locomotive pilot having a pocket in its upper portion, a vertical pivot pin in the pocket, a pocket casting pivotally mounted on said pin and having a pilot-contoured plate adapted to close the mouth of the pocket, a conventional coupler having its shank pivotally mounted on said pin and movable relatively to said pocket casting, said pocket forming a chamber into which the coupler may be retracted when the pilot-contoured plate of the pocket casting is moved into closed position, said pocket casting forming a shelf, and a shim resting on and interlocked with the shelf, a portion of the coupler being slidably supported by said shim.

14. In combination a locomotive pilot having a pocket in the upper portion of the same, a vertical pivot pin arranged in the pocket, a pocket casting having a pilot-contoured plate closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting having flanges extending rearwardly from the plate and pivotally mounted on said pivot pin to allow the pocket casting to be moved into a projected position, and the coupler having a shank pivotally mounted on the pin and positioned between said flanges.

15. In combination a locomotive pilot having a pocket in the upper portion of the same, a vertical pivot pin arranged in the pocket, a pocket casting having a pilot-contoured plate closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting having flanges extending rearwardly from the plate and pivotally mounted on said pivot pin to allow the pocket casting to be moved into a projected position, the coupler having a shank pivotally mounted on the pin and positioned between said flanges, and a shim arranged between the coupler shank and one of said flanges.

16. In combination a locomotive pilot having a pocket in the upper portion of the same, a vertical pivot pin arranged in the pocket, a pocket casting having a pilot-contoured plate closing the mouth of the pocket, said pocket casting having flanges extending rearwardly from the plate and pivotally mounted on said pivot pin to allow the pocket casting to be moved into a projected position, the coupler having a shank pivotally mounted on the pin and positioned between said flanges, a shelf rigidly united with one of said flanges, and a shim on said shelf forming a support for a portion of the coupler.

JEROME G. BOWER. 

